Serious Entertaining: Super Bowl Snacks

The key to a great game day spread is to make sure that you've got a good mix of dippables, scoopables, finger foods, and full-on edibles to keep your guests satisfied and entertained, all while making sure that enough of them can be made in advance so you don't have to worry about spending the whole game in the kitchen or rushing around like a maniac during half time trying to re-fill party platters.

What this means is variation. When planning a snack-based party, I aim to make just one or two things out of each of four different categories. That way I can plan in advance, have most of my food ready, and spend game day sipping beer and watching people watch football (I've never been into the actual game).

Those categories are: slow-cooker dips and stews, room temperature dips, hot snacks, and room temperature snacks. If you've got yourself a fondue pot or a mini slow cooker, really the only things that need to be cooked to order (or à la minute as the fancy French people say) is the hot snacks. Everything else can be prepared before the game and set out on platters, ready to graze on or pass around.

Hot Dips and Stews

[Photograph: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

These are all recipes that can be made ahead, reheated just before the game, then served out of a fondue pot or slow cooker, made to be dipped into, spooned up into bowls, or slopped into messy sandwiches.

Sloppy Joes are perfect party fare. Keep the meat warm, serve buns on the side, and let people fill their own sandwiches.

Feel like barbecue? Our Pulled Pork is the real deal. Cook it on the grill, keep it warm in the slow cooker, and serve it with a side of our crunchy slaw.

They may not sound great, but Whiskey Wieners will be the first thing to disappear from your party table. I guarantee it.

Make-Ahead Dips

These dips can be made in advance, pulled out of the fridge, transferred to serving bowls, and served straight up for dipping throughout the game.

Pimento Cheese is spreadable, salty, tangy, spicy, and really addictive. Make more than you think you'll need and serve with crackers and sliced jalapeños for some extra kick.

You can get away with just opening a can, but why should you when Real French Onion Dip is so much better and so darn easy? (Especially when you use our accelerated onion-caramelizing technique!)

There's no excuse not to make your own guacamole, and no reason not to make the best. The Best Guacamole starts with good avocados, and a concentrated flavor base made by pounding your aromatics with salt. (And check out 12+ variations right here!)

Make-Ahead Snacks and Sandwiches

[Photograph: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

These snacks can all be made ahead, ready to be pulled out, sliced, and served whenever the buffet empties.

If you don't want to spring for a 6-foot sub, make your own Grill-Pressed Italian Party Panini instead. Don't have a grill? Go ahead and use an indoor panini press or George Foreman-style grill, or just serve it at room temperature. It's not fussy.

Popcorn might be my favorite food on earth. I like it simply buttered and salted. But if the mood strikes, here are 10 Fun Topping Variations to amp up your 'corn for the game.

Got a backyard grill aching to be used? Try out this Pig Candy—that's grilled bacon in a sweet maple glaze. It'll work just as well baked on a rack in the oven. Once cooked, they can be stored cool and ready-to-serve over night.

So perhaps we're not quite geographically tuned in to the superbowl, but these Chesapeake Crab Crackers are delicious nonetheless. Mildly seasoned lump crabmeat served on top of crackers.

Hot Snacks and Wings

[Photograph: Marvin Gapultos]

If you're like me, you'd probably rather be spending game day in the kitchen whipping up hot snacks than glued to the set. These are perfect snacks for the host in you, the one who'd rather be left along with their oven and deep fryer.

As if Chicken-Fried Steak Nuggets don't sound good enough on their own, they had to go and dun' get themselves served with Beer and Bourbon Gravy!

Buttery, toasty, tangy, and packed with oozy gooey cheese, these Cheesy Party Sandwiches are everything you love about grilled cheese sandwiches, in easy-to-make bulk form.

I'll admit, these aren't the easiest sliders in the world to make, but believe me when I call them the (More) Ultimate(est) Perfect Sliders. Caramelized onion, beef, cheese, and steamed bun all fused into one gloriously greasy bite.

Anyone can do nachos. But it takes a special kind of host to make these Beef Barbacoa Nachos with homemade cheese sauce and pickled red onions. You are that special kind of host. I can tell you that now.

I have a deep, wide, soft spot for Fritos, and Fritos have a soft spot for chili, especially when it's spooned right into the bag and eaten with a fork. Check out this recipe for kimchi frito pie, or this every-bit-as-satisfying-as-the-meaty-version Vegan Frito Pie. Or ok, fine, this Chili Sauce would make an outstanding Frito pie as well.